The transfer portal for Division I baseball teams opened June 1. It’s a 30-day window where players can freely leave their college teams.
The timing is perfect for all but the final 16 teams standing, and one of those squads happens to be Mike Bianco’s Ole Miss Rebels. The Rebels won the Lincoln Regional and advanced to Friday’s Super Regional series at Auburn set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, if necessary.
How does Bianco feel about the opening of the portal right smack-dab in the midst of his team’s strecth run to Omaha?
“Obviously, the assistant coaches yesterday were on the phone and doing what we do,” said Bianco on Tuesday, a day after the portal opened. “They will work up unto the point that we leave. It’s part of now what’s happening in college athletics.”
While Bianco may have started seemingly taking the portal in stride, he changed his tone in almost the same breath.
“This isn’t to blame anybody particularly, but it’s just not the smartest thing,” continued Bianco. “I fall short because all these cameras to say it’s dumb, but why this is happening now and why it closes before the draft just makes no sense. But in defense of the people that make these decisions, there are a lot more sports out there than baseball. I’m sure that this will get corrected at some point so we won’t have these conversations and you won’t be talking about teams playing for the national championship that fall behind recruiting.
“The window is not where it’s supposed to be, but it is where it is.”
Ole Miss skipper Mike Bianco
Ole Miss will face Auburn in game one of the Super Regional on Friday at 7 p.m. CT. Game one of the super regional will be broadcast on ESPN2Â